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Donald Meakin — Grateful Memories
April 17, 2023Memory is a wonderful thing, and for Don Meakin the many performances he has enjoyed at the National Arts Centre over the years have enriched his bank of memories tremendously. And he is profoundly grateful. From a young age Don valued creative arts such as painting and writing poetry and,…
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Samantha Wrenshall Plavins – Giving with a Passion
April 17, 2023Samantha Plavins is unequivocal: “I love the NAC and am proud of all it does!” And those heart-felt feelings are based on first-hand experience. Sam was raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. After graduating from Lakehead University in 1998 with a HBMus. specializing in piano, she moved to…
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The Stories We Share
March 27, 2023I always knew that the NAC was special, a place where hearts and minds are transformed through the power of music, dance and theatre. But little did I know when I became head of NAC Communications in 2001 (and then CEO of the Foundation in 2009) what an amazing adventure I was embarking on,…
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The NAC is Alive with the Sound of Students
March 27, 2023You know when it’s student matinee day at the NAC. On those days, a quick trip to Equator coffee shop begs the question: “Do I weave my way through the hundreds of excited kids, or do I wait until later?” The caffeine enthusiasts among us will jump into the crowd and share the thrill, while…
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To The Moon and Back with Sarah Garton Stanley and the National...
March 27, 2023In July 2022, Sarah Garton Stanley (SGS) joined the NAC’s National Creation Fund as its new Artistic Producer. As an award-winning theatre maker, a change maker and a highly sought-after director and dramaturg, SGS seeks to forge connections between the performing arts and the questions of…
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Making the Arts Accessible
November 23, 2022“I have benefited greatly from the Under30 program at the NAC,” Nadia, a student in music performance at the University of Ottawa, shares. “Access to $15 tickets has allowed me to attend many more NACO concerts than I normally would. It is important to me to attend these live concerts…
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Un. Deux. Trois. Go!
November 23, 2022It was full speed ahead for NAC French Theatre’s first season, fully programmed by Artistic Director Mani Soleymanlou. Un. Deux. Trois., an epic performance written and directed by Mani, opened at the NAC in September 2022 before going on tour to eight other Canadian cities—Sudbury,…
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A Buzz in the Air: The NAC Orchestra’s SPHERE festival
November 23, 2022Your donations to the NAC Foundation help to create artistic programming that is relevant to our time. SPHERE, a music, arts and science festival about our world in a time of climate crisis, engaged audiences between September 22 and 25. Co-curated by Alexander Shelley and…
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A Special Summer at Your NAC
September 29, 2022This past summer the NAC’s stages and spaces came alive with shows for every type of audience. Canada’s diverse communities saw themselves represented through blockbuster musicals, one-person plays, dance troupes, and music from all corners of the country. With more than 200 shows, there…
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A Special Gathering in the Land of Pop
September 29, 2022“I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the women in the Global Network of Women and Non-Binary Producers for the last year over Zoom,” said Erin Costelo, an award-winning producer from Halifax, Nova Scotia. “Our in-person meeting in Sweden was so much more inspiring than I could have…
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Learning Side-by-Side with the NAC Orchestra
September 29, 2022Thanks to your generous support, the inaugural NAC Orchestra Mentorship Program was an outstanding success! From May 31 to June 17, forty-nine talented emerging and early career professional orchestral musicians from Canada, the United States, Taiwan, China, Germany, and Mexico took part in…
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Five Minutes with Anne-Marie Ouellet
May 9, 2022In April, as part of NAC French Theatre’s 2021–22 season, Anne-Marie Ouellet of the theatre collective L’eau du bain presented two plays for two different audiences. White Out was conceived for an adult audience and La chambre des enfants was made for children. Through innovative lighting…
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Barbara Irving - Follow Your Bliss
May 9, 2022Mythologist Joseph Campbell is perhaps best known for his advice to “follow your bliss”. Barb Irving has done just that by making the performing arts—one of her greatest passions—central to her life. Barb was a graphic designer with the NAC for almost three decades before her retirement…
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The NAC Orchestra: Sharing Stories
May 9, 2022When live performing arts was suspended in March 2020, the NAC Orchestra continued to seek new ways to engage with communities from across Canada, collaborate with diverse, Canadian artists, and to tell the breadth of stories of our country and our world. Thanks to your generous support,…
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Give while you live: Donald K. Johnson’s historic $1M gift to the GGPAA
February 24, 2022Canadian philanthropist and businessman Donald K. Johnson was born and raised in Lundar, Manitoba and currently lives in Toronto, Ontario. Known for being one of the most successful investment bankers on Bay Street, Mr. Johnson is also recognized for advocating tax changes to encourage…
